Studies on the pH and protein content of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) fruits deteriorated by Aspergillus niger.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruits obtained from the local market in Sango Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, were inoculated with Aspergillus niger from cultures grown in the laboratory and incubated under appropriate conditions of temperature and moisture to initiate infection for seven days. Extensive lesions and subsequent collapse of the tomato fruits inoculated with A. niger occurred within a week of incubation. The uninoculated fruits retained the bright red colour and remained firm throughout the seven days. The pH and the probable implication of the results obtained from this research work can be very useful in utilizing tomato fruits in tomato processing companies in Nigeria

Collecting and processing livestock statistics: Operational experience from Nigeria

Provides a perspective of the data collection system used in generating livestock statistics, presents a set of information priorities required by the livestock subsector for planning purposes and describes a data processing structure that will facilitate the management of a livestock data bank

Randomness of Stock Return in Nigerian Banking Sector

This study presents a test of Random Walk Hypothesis in the Nigerian Stock Market, with a view to determining if stock price changes conform to predetermined probability distribution. A sample of thirteen Deposit Money Banks which are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange between 2007 and 2014 were used in the analysis. Secondary daily price data for the period were sourced from the capital assets section of NSE Fact Book. The methods used were; Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test (ADF), Phillips-Perron Test (PP) and Kwiatkowski, Phillips, Schmidt and Shin Test (KPSS) unit root tests were used to test non-stationarity while Descriptive Statistics of Jaque-bera were used to check for normality. The ADF, PP and KPSS unit root test results imply that the changes in stock prices are stationary at level while Descriptive statistics results indicate that the changes in stock prices do not follow a normal distribution. The findings of this study show that stock price changes are stationary and not normally distributed. Based on the findings, the changes in Nigerian Deposit Money banks’ stock price in Nigerian stock exchange do not follow a random walk. In other words, Nigerian Stock market is not weak form efficient. The study recommends that since changes in stock prices are not indeterminable or caused by random events, the investor should endeavour to identify what determines the prices in the past in order to ensure judicious and prudent allocation of their investable funds

Incentive Regulation, Productivity Growth and Environmental Effects: The Case of Electricity Networks in Great Britain

We analyse the productivity growth of electricity transmission and distribution networks in Great Britain and how changes in incentive mechanism have influenced the measured total factor productivity (TFP). In doing so we are also concerned to examine the effects of quality of service and environmental targets on measured productivity growth. It is increasingly important that productivity measures adjust for the increasing regulatory pressure to reduce the wider societal impacts of the electricity sector and improve quality of service. Failure to do so, may mean that productivity growth may look slower than it actually is. We employ a DEA technique which considers the underlying data without a stochastic element. Our findings show that productivity growth is consistently low for the period we examine, in the region of 1% p.a. over the 29 years from 1990/1991-2018/2019. For both electricity transmission and electricity distribution we try to monetise a wider range of quality and emissions variables in order to show the difference their inclusion makes to measured productivity growth. We show that it can make a difference both positively and negatively, though often this difference is small (e.g. 0.1% p.a.). However, the impact can be much larger (c. 1% p.a.), especially with respect to improvements in quality of service in the distribution network. In the context of generally slow productivity growth, we therefore show the importance of appropriate measurement

Extraction and clarification of apple juice with polygalacturonase obtained from apple (Malus domestica) fruits deteriorated by Aspergillus niger

Pectinase is used commercially in the clarification and extraction of fruit juice from different fruits. Green apples and Red apples obtained from the fruits section of a supermarket, Idiroko road, Ota were surface sterilized and inoculated with Aspergillus niger. The stock culture was subcultured on Sabouraud Dextrose agar plates and 72-hr-old culture of Aspergillus niger served as the inoculum. The fruits were incubated for twenty-five days at room temperature (25 °C). Control fruits were similarly treated except that sterile inoculum was used for the inoculation. Extracts from the inoculated fruits exhibited appreciable polygalacturonase activity while those from the uninoculated fruits possessed only traces of the enzyme activity. The polygalacturonase obtained after enzyme extraction was applied to freshly ripe apple fruits under controlled experimental conditions to investigate the role of polygalacturonase in the production of apple juice. The juice in the cylinder to which polygalacturonase was added was visually clearer and more than that with distilled water. The optimum temperature of incubation for the clarification of apple fruits with polygalacturonase obtained from apple fruits deteriorated by Aspergillus niger was 25 °C. © 2011 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved

Rootstock growth and development for increased graft success of mango (Mangifera indica) in the nursery

The graft success of seedlings depends on rootstock size and the skills of grafters. A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of rootstock diameter (at root collar), skills and experience of grafters on mango seedling thinning and grafting. Skilled and unskilled grafters were involved in grafting mango plants for at least three consecutive months. Different rootstock sizes based on root collar diameter of mango seedlings were assessed. The results showed significant differences in graft-take among three groups of nurserymen. The skills and experience of grafters had a significant effect on graft success. The late emerging seedlings showed higher increase in height and diameter after thinning. A higher survival (> 75%) and reduced time to graft-take (19 days) were achieved with thicker rootstocks (0.7 cm) than thinner rootstocks (0.3 cm). The early emerging plants produced more leaves than late emerging plants after grafted. It was concluded that a higher graft-take can best be achieved with skilled grafters and thicker rootstocks

Nutritional Value of some Edible Mushrooms from Egbe Farmland, West Yagba Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria

Studies were carried out on four different Species of wild mushrooms: Lentinus subnudus, Chlorophyllum molybditis, Marasmus species and Pleurotus tuberregium. The fungal species were analyzed for their nutritional compositions, biological and Structural characteristics. The fungal species were rich in proteins (amino acids) and carbohydrates. The fibres contained in the different species were also good sources of roughages. Moreover, their low acidity confirms their edibility. This study strongly recommends the commercialization of mushroom production as a means of additional source of protein requirements and income to the people in the developing economy of Nigeri

The Productivity Puzzle in Network Industries: Evidence from the Energy Sector

What accounts for the recent widespread slowdown in the productivity in advanced economies has remained a puzzle. One plausible explanation has been attributable to regulation, particularly anti-competitive regulations and environmental regulations. Thi

Rollover Stability Models for Three-Wheeled Vehicle Design

The current commercial  three-wheeled vehicles (TWVs) in the market are rollover unstable, with adverse effects on life and property.  This places limitation on their speed and usage, even though they are fuel efficient, cheap and generate about 33% of green gases per rider when compared with four-wheeled vehicles.This work derived mathematical models for the analysis of the stability of the three-wheeled vehicle (TWV). Based on these models, the test method for rollover stability was adopted. Rollover test was carried out on a TWV on Nigerian road. The results showed that the vehicle is unstable with respect to rollover stability. The test procedure if adopted and legislated upon, would significantly enhance safety of life and property of the population. Moreover, the speed and usage of the vehicle for both private and commercial purposes will be enhanced